Compare the2025 Nissan Kicks PlayVS 2025 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Nissan Kicks Play has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Kicks Play has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Kicks Play has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Automatic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and the Eclipse Cross’ Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Kicks Play and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks Play is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks Play	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	191	248
Neck Injury Risk	32%	38.7%
Neck Stress	374 lbs.	424 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	33 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Kicks Play is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks Play	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	139	145
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	218	358
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	535 lbs.	622 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Kicks Play is 3% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

Warranty

The Kicks Play’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Eclipse Cross’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 3 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Kicks Play’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is rated lower.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Kicks Play gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

		MPG
Kicks Play
	1.6 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/36 hwy
Eclipse Cross
	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Nissan Kicks Play as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

Brakes and Stopping

The Kicks Play SV/SR’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Eclipse Cross are solid, not vented.

The Kicks Play stops much shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Kicks Play	Eclipse Cross
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Kicks Play’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires.

The Kicks Play has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Kicks Play has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kicks Play handles at .83 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Kicks Play’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Eclipse Cross AWD’s (34.2 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Kicks Play may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 750 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

The Kicks Play is 9.9 inches shorter than the Eclipse Cross, making the Kicks Play easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Kicks Play has .9 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front legroom and 1.2 inches more rear headroom than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Kicks Play has a much larger cargo volume than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 23.4 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Kicks Play’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Kicks Play’s power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the key is in the passenger compartment and the driver’s door is open, the locks unlock every time you lock them. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Kicks Play’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights.

The Kicks Play has a standard Intelligent Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL offers FAST-Key.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Kicks Play has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Kicks Play has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Kicks Play, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross isn't recommended.

The Nissan Kicks Play outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by over six to one during 2024.

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